Draw-bar-pin casting.



H. F` BALL.

DRAW BAR PIN CASTING.

APPLICATION .man DEc.21. me.

1,223.5553. Patented Apr. 24, 1917.

Milli I HERMAN F. BALL, 0F' BRGNXVILLE, NEW YORK.

DRW-BAR-PIN CASTING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 243e, 119i?.

Application led December 27, 1916. Serial No. 139,099.

To @ZZ 'whom it may coacemf' Be it known that I, HERMAN F. BALL, of BronXville, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Draw-Bar- Pin Castings, of which improvement the following is a specification.

My invention relates to appliances Jfor detachably connecting a locomotive engine and tender, and its object is to provide simple and eilicient means, whereby adjustment to compensate wear of abutting surfaces on the two vehicles and variation in the height of the draw bar may be elfected without the necessity of shortening the draw bar, in the first case, and offsetting it in the second, which obtains in ordinary present practice.

The improvement claimed is hereinafter fully set forth. A

ln the accompanying drawingsrnFigure 1 is a plan view, partly in horizontal section, oi' the middle portion of the adjoining ends of a locomotive and tender, illustrating an application of my invention; F ig. 2, a vertical longitudinal central section through the same; Fig. 3, a view, the right hand half of which is a front elevation of so much of the appliance as is located on the tender, and the left hand half, a vertical transverse section, on the axial line of the tender draw bar pin g and, Figs. 4 and 5, vertical longitudinal cen'- tral sections through the same, illustrating modifications of structural detail.

In the practice of my invention, referring descriptively to the specific embodiment thereof which is herein exemplified, and in which the locomotive and tender are, as heretofore, connected by a .draw bar, 1, which is coupled to the locomotive by a pin, 2, passing through a pocket, 3a, on the foot plate, 3, and to the tender, by a pin, 4, I provide a draw bar pin casting, 5, 5a, 5b, 5c, which is an integral member, of box form, and substantially rectangular outline, and is fitted between the side walls of a. draw head, 6, which is rigidly secured to the center-sills, 7, and front end sill, 8a, of the tender. The draw bar pin casting is supported on carry irons, 7a, secured to the draw head by bolts, 7', and is of substantially the following construction.

Two vertical side plates, 5, are connected by upper and lower transverse plates, 5a and 5l?, between which the draw bar, 1, passes freely, and lateral -langes, 5, are formed on the side plates, at a level a short distance,

as say, oneinch, below that of the lower plate, 5. rlhe lianges, 5, rest normally, that is to say, until adjustment of the draw bar for height is required, on the carry irons, 7a, and the upper plate, 5a, is extended laterally without variation of its top level, to the same width as the lower,flanges,.5c. The

draw bar pin casting bears, at its forward1 end, on lateral stops, 6a, formed on the draw head, 6, and is forced against said stops by keys, 8, abutting on its rear end and on the rear vertical transverse wall oi' the draw head, and drawn to proper bearing by bolts, 9, and nuts, 9a. The inner faces of the upper and lower plates are forwardlyand rearwardly inclined, from central sockets therein, through which the draw bar pin passes, and the common axis of said sockets is lo: cated a short distance, "as, say, three quarters of an inch or thereabout, nearer to the front than to the rear of the draw bar pin casting.

An opening, 6b, is onmed in the draw head, 6, through which the boss which surrounds the upper pin socket of the draw bar pin casting, passes freely, vsaid opening being of elliptical or oblong form, with vits greater dimension in the longitudinal centrai plane of the draw head.

Figs. 4 and 5 show structural modifications, in each of which the ends of the draw bar pin casting are segmentally curved, in a vertical plane, the draw head stops, 6a, and the abutting faces of the keys', 8, being similarlyv curved. In the form shown in Fig. 4, the rear wall of the draw head, against which the keys bear, is upwardly and forwardly inclined, and the keys are fitted between said wall and the lower portion of the draw bar pin casting. Fig. 5 shows a reverse arrangement of tl rese parts, that is to say the rear wall of the draw head is upwardly and rearwardly inclined, and the keys are fitted between said wall and the upper portion of the draw bar -p in casting. ln this case, gravity assists in taking up lost motion due to wear. By reason of the curvature of the bearing faces of said casting, and of the faces on which they abut, ady justment of said casting, to maintam 1t 1n normal alinement with the draw bar, and thereb to accommodate variation of the draw ar from normal horizontal position, is permitted in the forms of the appliance shown in Figs. 4- and 5.

i My invention is herein illustrated in con'- nection with achafin block device 'of thement afforded by this or any other"v buffer appliance has been exhausted," continued wear of the abutting surfaces of the two vehicles, renders it necessary, in ordinary practice, to shorten the draw bar, in accordance withY the resultant reduction of distance be-V tween its coupling pins. Under myy invention, this operation is avoided, an increase of distance between the bearing of the draw bar on the locomotive and its bearing on the tender, .which permits the length of the draw bar to remain unchanged, being effected by reversing the draw bar casting, that is to say, turning it end for end, so that the end thereof which is farther from the axis of the draw b ar pin sockets, abuts forwardly against the stops, 6a, of the draw head, instead of rearwardly against the keys, 8, as when originally installed. Another adjustment is provided, for the purpose of avoiding offsetting of the draw bar when, by reason of the locomotive vtires becoming worn and the springsl assuming a permanent set, the draw bar cannot maintain its normal horizontal position. In such case, the draw bar pin casting is inverted, so that its top plate bears on the carry irons. The upper surface of said plate lbeing nearer the longitudinal central plane of the draw bar'than the lower surfaces of the lateral flanges, 5, of the lower plate, the draw bar is correspondingly lowered, so as to assume an approximately horizontal position. p

It will be obvious that the draw head, 6, in which the draw bar pin casting is fitted, may, if preferred, be supported on the locomotive, instead of on the tender, asl defscribed and shown, 'and that such modificae tion of structural detail would involve no departure from the spirit and operative principle of my invention.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent: f

1. An end for end reversible draw bar pin casting for' railroad vehicle draftgear,4

aving upper and lower draw bar pin .the ends of' the casting.

2. A top and bottom reversible draw bar pin casting for railroad Vvehicle draft gear,

4having upper and lower draw .bar pin sockets which are in line axially, and top and bottom bearing surfaces at unequal distances from its longitudinal central plane. J

3. A draw bar pin casting for railroad vehicle draft gear, comprising, in an inte` gral casting, vertical side walls; and upper and lower connecting plates, said plates having draw bar pin sockets which are in line axially and in a transverse plane ati unequal distances from the endsof the casting. l

4. A draw bar pin casting for railroad vehicle draft gear, comprising, in an integral casting, vertical sidewalls; 'upper and lower connecting plates, said plates having draw bar pin sockets which are in line axially; and lateral bearing surface flanges projecting from the side walls at a greater distance from the longitudinal central plane of the casting than the upper plate.

5. In al railroad vehicle draft gear, the combination of a draw head adapted to be secured to a railroad vehicle; stops fixed on said draw head; a draw 'bar pin casting sup- .ported in said draw head and abutting on .said stops; a draw bar pin fitted insockets in said casting, located at unequal distances from its ends; means for maintaining said casting against said stops; and a draw bar coupled to said pin and adapted to be coupled, at its opposite end, to another vehicle.

6. In a railroad vehicle draft gear, the

combination of a draw head adapted to be secured to a railroad vehicle; stops fixed on said draw head; a draw bar pin casting supported in said draw head and having top and bottom bearing surfaces at unequal distances from it s longitudinal central plane, saidcasting abutting on said stops; a draw bar pin fitted in sockets in said casting; means for maintaining said casting against said stops; and a draw bar coupled to said pin,- and adapted tokbe coupled, at its opposite end, to another vehicle.

HERMAN F. BALL. Witnesses; 1 f

HAL RQSTAFFORD,

y J. LAF BACON. 

